


Red-Faced

by Ceares



Category: due South
Genre: M/M, Spoilers for the show in general.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2018-05-28 18:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6340459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceares/pseuds/Ceares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He had looked forward to greeting the first day of the new year with his arms wrapped around the love of his life, not with Ray Vecchio's hands wrapped around his throat.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red-Faced

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this was written years and years ago when I thought I was actually going to write in dueSouth. Turns out I still have stuff that didn't get transferred to AO3.

Stanley Raymond Kowalski pried open one eye to pear blearily at the alarm clock on the nightstand. The digital readout said three a.m. Much too early to get up, and he'd have been happy to go back to sleep except that he was handcuffed to the bed, his ass hurt, his head hurt, there was a Mountie on his chest, a wolf on his bladder and somebody playing the drums in his living room. The only thing that threw him was the drummer. He knew he'd been buzzing pretty hard last night, but he didn't remember inviting a band home. It took him a moment to focus and realize the constant rhythmic pounding was someone knocking on his door.

Through some judicious shifting, he managed to edge his arm out from under Fraser's head. A little more wiggling gained him access to the handcuff key on the nightstand and a final acrobatic maneuver freed him from the fur-lined cuffs. A low moan sounded from the wolf and was echoed by the Mountie as he slid free of their weight, landing with a soft thud on the floor. Ray half stumbled, half crawled into the living room before finding his feet and getting to the door. He completely forgot he was naked until a second after he fumbled the lock open and heard a sharp exclamation from the other side.

"Ray! I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"Stel?" He struggled to focus on the slightly disheveled blonde standing on his doorstep with a tear-stained face.

Stella shook her head. "I'm sorry Ray. I didn't realize you had company, I just needed...I'll go."

"No, no, come on in. What are you doing here? Where's Vecchio? Did something happen?" He stepped back, becoming more aware of what was going on, and more of aware of the pressure on his bladder by the minute. He looked around, grabbing his robe off the back of the kitchen chair and slipping it on. 

"Something happened all right. I left him."

"What! When?" That acted like a jolt of caffeine.

"Now."

"Oh shit, Stel!"

She ran a pale, slender hand ran distractedly through her hair in a familiar gesture before looking at him with distraught eyes. "I said I was sorry okay. I didn't mean to interrupt your night."

Ray thought of the scene he'd left in the bedroom, and another *shit* popped into his head. He and Fraser were far from out, and the last thing he wanted was his ex-wife to be the first to find out. "What makes you think I have somebody here?"

"Come on, Ray. You always sleep in boxers and an undershirt except when you're otherwise occupied."

Ray had to acknowledge Stella's statement. One of the disadvantages of breaking up with somebody that knew you so well, was that forever more that information was in their hands to use as they would. Lucky for him Stella hadn't been malicious, cause she knew him plenty.

"I'll go, Ray, I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

For a moment he was tempted, but he saw the honest distress in her eyes, and he thought of Fraser's reaction if he let her leave. "Nah, sit down, I'll fix you some coffee." He started the coffee in his Mr. Coffee. It had been a gift from Fraser, and he still refused to admit, at least to Fraser, that the stuff it produced was manna compared to the sludge he used to drink from the faucet.

"Look I gotta, you know...drain the lizard. Excuse me for a minute." He hurried towards the bathroom, relieved to find that Fraser and Dief were both still asleep as he passed through the bedroom. On the way back, he stopped a second and smiled at both of them even though they were oblivious. A Mountie and a wolf. Huh--who knew that's what he'd been missing from his life.

Stella had fixed herself a cup of coffee and was sitting at the table staring blankly into the smoldering liquid. He sat across from her, taking her hand in his. "Come on, babe, tell me what happened. It's not like you to do something like this."

The tears started immediately. "Why not. I completely screwed up _our_ marriage. Why not this one too?"

Ray sighed. Stella didn't get mega-emotional often but when she did, look out. He used to call his Ma over and stand aside. Somehow he didn't think that would be appropriate under the circumstances, so it looked like he was going to have to handle it himself. "Stel, you and me didn't work out, but that wasn't just you. Heck, knowing Vecchio, _this_ time it's probably not you at all." She only cried harder at his words.

Ray glanced towards the bedroom; relieved to see the door was still closed. That meant either all the noise hadn't woken Fraser up, or the other man had the good sense to stay in the bedroom. "No, what I mean is-I'm sure the two of you are going to work things out. As a matter of fact..." An unholy pounding cut him short on his door. If Stella had been a drum player this was the thunder of God bowling. He didn't have to see Stella blanch to know who was on the other side.

"Please tell me you didn't tell him you were coming here."

Stella shook her head. "I didn't but he must have figured--where else would I go. We're staying with his family, and I haven't really kept in touch with anybody out here since we moved to Florida."

It seemed like *shit* was going to be his litany for the night. And the night had started off so well. He and Fraser and Dief toasting the New Year together. He and Fraser welcoming it in the best way possible, in orgasmic bliss. He had looked forward to greeting the first day of the new year with his arms wrapped around the love of his life, not with Ray Vecchio's hands wrapped around his throat.

"KOWALSKI! Open this damn door. I know Stella is with you."

Stella gave him a frantic look. "I don't want to talk to him! Just tell him I'm not here." She stood up and rushed towards the bedroom.

Ray put out a futile hand to stop her. "Stella wait..." Stella shoved open the bedroom door at the same time his front door splintered under the force of Vecchio's 'police technique'. Vecchio barged in, striding past Ray and towards his wife standing frozen in the bedroom door. What ever he had planned to say or do was aborted when he saw what held her attention.

Ray peered over their shoulders to see a nude, sleep tousled Fraser sitting up. Everybody stood in a silent tableau for a moment.

"What the fuck!"

"Hello Ray, Mrs. Vecchio." Fraser directed a sheepish grin in their direction, then his eyes traveled beyond them to meet Ray's. Ray shrugged, only wishing he had an explanation for what was currently going on.

"Fraser what the hell is going on here?"

"Well, from what I could understand through the door Ray. Mrs. Vecchio here came to Ray for shelter after your altercation until you two could work things out. She was rather...uhm surprised to find him with company for the evening."

"Company? Is that what they call it up in Canada, Benny? Cause it looks like fucking from where I'm sitting."

"Hey, watch it, Vecchio." Ray put a hand on the other Ray's shoulder when he saw the distressed look cross Fraser's face.

"It's okay, Ray, really. Ray is understandably upset."

"Damn right I am! First my wife wakes me up in the middle of the night to tell me she's pregnant, then--when it understandably takes me a minute to come out of my stupor and be happy, she runs off--straight to her ex husband. I show up here and find said ex-husband half undressed, and my ex-partner stark naked with freakin' handcuffs on the bed. I'd say I've got the right to be upset."

Ray ignored the twinge of pain he felt when heard about Stella's pregnancy. Because of Fraser it was barely there, and he knew in time--maybe even by the time the little Vecchio arrived--it would fade completely. "Yeah, well--I say congrats on the bambino and me and Frase ain't any of your business." The look on his face dared Vecchio to say anything else. Unfortunately he could tell the ex-detective was about to take that dare.

The wolf saved them. Dief rolled over and fell off the bed. He struggled for a moment to get up, and when his legs folded under him, he let out a series of mournful howls that dwindled to pitiful moans.

"What's wrong with him?" Vecchio glared at the moaning wolf as if he could be held responsible for the nightmare going on around the ex-detective.

"I'm very much afraid Dief has a hang over--much like Ray and myself." Fraser rubbed one hand across his brow.

A look of something like understanding and not a little relief crossed Ray Vecchio's face. "So that's why the two of you...I mean, that's what happened last night? You were drunk."

Ray grinned. "Nah, that's just why we forgot to unlock the cuffs.”


End file.
